Daily Archives: August 10, 2017

At the end of the working day, I decided to take the train. I could have cycled and get in 45 minutes of training, but I also wanted to read a few documents. The train ride would be a great opportunity to do that (I am very bad at reading work documents at home). The train broke down between two stations, in 30 degrees C. After 10 minutes, I left the train, walked to the closest bus station, took the city bus. Trip home took 75 minutes. I did my reading.

Romana had been rowing with her double partner Veronika, who is over from Ostrava. Veronika was staying over at our house for another session in the morning. We discussed training volumes. The Ostrava people are volume junkies. Here is my volume from Stravistix.

I am doing pretty well compared to 2013, ’14 and ’15. I think that volume wise the year is going to be very similar to 2016. I do not have time to do the volumes that the Ostrava guys are doing, but I might be able to make my program a bit more robust against events that threaten volume. Business trips. Low energy. The likes.

The Stravistix tool also lets you look at elevation climbed. This year, I seem to be a climber. I think it’s biking with my kids.

It is not, actually. I browsed through the different sports on Stravistix, and it is rowing. I am a rowing climber! I guess it has to do with elevation correction being changed on Strava.

Thursday

This morning I joined the girls for a row on the lake. They went out in the double, delighted to see an empty lake. (I am already used to it and enjoy rowing in the morning).

The wind was getting stronger during the row. I pushed off a bit earlier than the girls in the double, and I was about 500m out when they pushed off. I decided to row the long version of the “tour du lac”, going into the turn at the Rokle end, instead of turning the boat at the beginning of the turn. I thought that that would allow them to gradually catch up, but it didn’t happen, because the girls did start practice.

After 12km, I chose to row up the lake again, expecting to meet the double half way and then row back to the dock together. I didn’t find them. So I completed another loop and returned to the club. The double was already in. I think I missed them when they were rowing in the reflection of the sunlight on the water. Anyway, you can see how I rowed slower in that final loop, scanning the lake for a double.

During the bulk of the row, I threw in a few rate ladders, the 4min/3min/2min/1min type at 18/20/22/24 spm. All well.

I tried to see if reducing work per stroke at constant stroke rate would slow me down or reduce the distance per stroke. I have the feeling it doesn’t, but the data may be skewed by changing wind strength.

The jury is still out.

Now I am on a long phone conference with my colleagues from Phoenix. Listening mode. After that, around 7:30pm, I will start the cycle ride home (45 minutes).